You are here

China

In China, several local governments, like Shanghai and Beijing, developed building energy efficiency labels. But a national program, based on the Civil Building Energy Efficiency Regulation, was launched in 2008. The regulation legally requires that the energy performance of new government-owned office buildings or large public buildings should be rated and labeled. The building labeling program is administered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD).

It is only mandatory for four types of buildings:

New government-owned office buildings or large public buildings

Existing buildings (of the type listed above) that apply for government funding to subsidize energy retrofits

State or provincial energy efficiency demonstration buildings

Buildings that apply for National Green Building Labels

The MOHURD rating program has five levels, from one star to five stars, and covers both residential and non-residential buildings. It also is unique in its inclusion of both asset and operational ratings.

As director of IMT’s building energy rating program for just more than a year now, I have had the wonderful privilege of traveling the country and the world to explore building energy disclosure policy. Without doubt, it has been a whirlwind education.